Results 26,801-26,820 of 34,872 for speaker:Seán Fleming
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: The Minister will start with Secretaries General and assistant secretaries general.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: They are not prescribed yet?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: Let us say this legislation is passed in the coming weeks or months and is commenced-----
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: It is good to hear that. I am thinking of the budget process each year, when people contact us about different aspects they want included in the Finance Bill. Most people would suggest talking to the officials in the Department of Finance and putting the case. I am sure that could happen at principal officer or assistant principal officer level. A final decision is a matter for the...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: I tabled a series of 15 or 20 amendments, which we have discussed and which I believe should have been included under section 5, with regard to the definition of lobbying activities, including lobbying Government Ministers on appointments to State boards or consultants working on behalf of bodies in a variety of public regulators. I accept the Minister's statement that he does not want to...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: Essentially, what the Minister has said is that what he has provided for under section 6 are public servants or other prescribed office holders and that he has not yet got around to compiling the list. Therefore, as he has not yet compiled it, there is no issue, but depending on who is prescribed, this could become an issue.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: We can say the danger is potentially down the road.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: I note that members are discussing amendments Nos. 30 and 31 together. While I understand the Minister's point, I have a different view on it, which is why I believe this paragraph should be deleted, as should the Minister's amendment he proposes in lieu of the existing paragraph. The Minister's amendment should not be proceeded with and I will provide an example I have already mentioned....
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: It is proposed to issue guidelines in relation to appointments of State boards. I am seeking extension of the guidelines to lobbying. This is so serious an issue the Minister is taking up Government time to introduce guidelines on appointments to State boards. Why not go the extra step and address this on a legislative basis? The Government has spent a considerable amount of time on this....
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: And subsection (1)(g).
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: What section is that?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: God help us is right.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: Absolutely. People who would be contemplated under the terms of the legislation would certainly be obliged to register. For the time being, Irish Water will be a national monopoly and there would be no commercial disadvantage to this information being made known. Some time ago, the Minister refused to allow Irish Water to be included under the freedom of information legislation....
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: We did not include Irish Water either. It is a Fine Gael invention to which those in Labour have succumbed.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: This amendment relates to Irish Water. I have made my point and I will move on. Amendment No. 11 is designed to obliged those who register An Post to be registered. Again, An Post is a commercial semi-State body and it has a monopoly in the context of the delivery of post to houses. I accept, however, that its parcel delivery and other divisions are obliged to compete with many private...
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: We have quite a list of amendments in this group. In fact, there are almost 20 amendments included in the group for discussion.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: Yes, that is fine and that is why they are grouped together. The essence of this line of discussion is to deal with the meaning of carrying on lobbying activities, as the name of section 5 indicates. The Minister has just referred to a number of amendments he proposes to make to the section but I have a number of concerns about this Bill and this issue is probably the one of most concern....
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: The guidelines were published?
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: I will be introducing legislation in the Dáil tomorrow dealing with appointments to State boards. A lot of what the Minister and everyone else agrees should be done in this area should be put on a legislative footing rather than being based on guidelines. I expect the Minister and I will agree with the contents of my legislation tomorrow.
- Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Committee Stage (25 Nov 2014)
Seán Fleming: I did not know that the guidelines were being published today.